Echo my Love
by jewelmonkey
Summary: No one ever thought the infamous Hitachiin twins would have troubles of their own, namely over something called 'love'. mild Twincest
1. Chapter 1

**disclaimer: **You know... The usual.

**Echo my Love**

*

*

_Chapter One_

( Hikaru Hitachiin's Point of View )

I was mercilessly pulled from my sleep by the sound of a hard thud. Ignoring it, I kept my eyes tightly shut. However, my desperate tries at falling back to sleep was disregarded as something collided with my head. Groaning in pain, my eyes fluttered open and immediately narrowed in annoyance. Shifting my body so that I can lean up, I spotted Kaoru's figure hovering over me. The expression on his face was a mixture of anger, irritation and exhaustion. Eyeing his hand that was a foot away from my face, I concluded that he was the one who smacked my head in a vain attempt to rouse me from sleep.

"This is the third time you did this!", he growled, hazel eyes squinting at me. I made a small noise of confusion as my eyes lowered and closed on their own accord. Kaoru, sensing my sudden desire to fall back to sleep, shook me awake by the shoulders. I forced my eyes back open and met his agitated gaze with a tired one.

"What is it Kaoru?", I moaned, rubbing my eyes with the back of a hand.

"You kicked me out of bed. . . /again/", he hissed, lightly shoving me. I wobbled a bit before finally managing to stay awake. By the time I was ready to crawl out of bed, Kaoru was already stomping towards the bathroom, fuming.

Scratching my head groggily, a yawn parted my lips. _What was all that about?_

*

When I was fully dressed for school, I headed to the direction of the dining room where breakfast was being served for me and Kaoru. My twin was already there, and judging by the creased eyebrows, he was still ill-natured by what happened this morning. Touching the back of my neck in an awkward manner, I pulled one of the seats away from the table so that I can sit. I was positioned exactly across from Kaoru, who was dragging a bacon strip across his plate with a fork.

"Hey, Kaoru", I called sweetly. His eyes lifted to mine for a brief second before they fell back to his food. I made a sound of disappointment that I couldn't get a more positive reaction out of him. He must be really upset with me. Blowing a sigh, I leaned forward to try and capture his eyes once more. I couldn't, but he shot me a sharp glance when I kept staring. Offering a large grin, I said in the most sincere tone possible, "I'm sorry for waking you up like that, Kaoru."

His expression was beginning to lose its harsh lines, and he sighed too. Dropping his fork onto his dish, he reached for the orange juice but I darted my hand forward before he registered what happened. Kaoru's eyes widened at my action, and the smile never left my face while I twined our fingers together sweetly. "I said I'm sorry."

"Okay, okay", he laughed breathlessly, retrieving his hand to grab the glass cup already laid out for him. "I forget how sentimental you get in the morning."

I laughed at his words, relieved that his momentary bad mood passed. Lifting a piece of bacon to my mouth, I chewed as I spoke, "It's only because I can't **bear** to see you angry at me, Kaoru."

Rolling his eyes, Kaoru sipped his drink before shooting me a look of mild disapproval. "Save that for the club."

I only grinned lazily in response.

*

Kaoru waited for me to finish eating before we rushed out to the limo that was parked in front of our mansion. Arriving at Ouran Academy in precisely ten minutes, we walked to our class together, sharing jokes and laughs along the way.

Once we reached the room, we took our usual seats on either side of Haruhi. Almost immediately, Kaoru was engaged in a conversation with her about the club's dance next week. I just listened to their voices, tuning in on certain parts.

"I still don't know what the lord is planning. He keeps changing his mind and can't stay on one subject", Kaoru said thoughtfully, thumbing his lower lip. It was a habit of his, and I always found it intriguing, mostly because it was something I would never do. I admit though, it suited Kaoru.

I hummed while idly tapping the table top with a finger. "Well, at least we're having a party. We haven't hosted one in a while. . ."

"That's true", Haruhi nodded, placing a few notebooks on her desk that she grabbed from inside her bag. She let her hands search for some pens too. "I just hope the theme next week is nothing ridiculous."

Kaoru and I exchanged sly looks of glee. We knew she was referring to the Atlantica theme last week. Haruhi was the only one who was blackmailed to be dressed up as a mermaid by Kyouya and his evil ways. She wasn't too happy about it but Tamaki, being oblivious as ever, hadn't noticed Haruhi's constant scowls of discomfort.

"Ahhh, well that's too bad. We were hoping -", Kaoru started, propping his arm on the table with his cheek leaning against his palm.

"- that next week's theme is something just as fun. You know, like -", I continued, mimicing Kaoru's choice of posture with an identical humored smirk.

"- Agrabah or maybe even a beach theme with you wearing a swimsuit", Kaoru beamed.

"It is the host club's two-year anniversay afterall", Kaoru and I added meaningfully, our eyes shining with mischief. "No doubt our lord will make it extra special."

Haruhi grimaced, and we already knew she would never agree to the plan. "No way."

Sighing, I turned to Kaoru in mock sadness. "Guess we don't have a choice. Maybe we should report this to Kyouya-senpai, and hope that he'll raise Haruhi's debt since she's not cooperating."

Kaoru caught on quickly, and sighed heavily in perfect sync with me. "You're right, Hikaru. Let's go to the music room when class ends and let Kyouya-senpai know."

As predicted, she flinched and squirmed. Not physically, but mentally. Kaoru and I could see the torment in her eyes as she shot daggers at us. "You two wouldn't.", she hissed, but there was a lining of fear in her tone that we recognized right away.

"Won't we? Since when did we have limitations?", we snickered, but straightened when the instructor entered the class.

*

As the teacher lectured about things I didn't care about, I placed my head against my knuckles for some support to keep it up. Otherwise, my head would've been on the desk by now and I won't be gaining any participation points.

Sliding my eyes over to where Kaoru sat, I took note of how his face was lax and his eyes were unfocused as if day dreaming. Interested, I tilted my head forward to take a better look. His mechanical pencil was in a loose grip, but he was too busy dazing off to pay attention.

My eyes sparkled with amusement and I decided to fix my line of vision on to Kaoru instead of the teacher. But after a few minutes of simply watching, my enjoyment morphed into a feeling of wonder. What exactly was he thinking so deeply about anyway?

*

The bell rung throughout Ouran and at last, we were free to leave. I stood up from my chair and stretched to the ceiling as both Haruhi and Kaoru gathered their belongings. Naturally, Haruhi was a scholarship student so she was recommended to take all seven classes every day while Kaoru and I only had to take four. We just decided to not take any electives this year; they were only a waste of time and always interfered with the club's activities.

"Well", Kaoru inhaled, his mouth stretched into a kind smile. "I'll see you guys at the club."

Waving, he began to turn until I clutched his shoulder. Twisting his waist to look at me in confusion, I questioned hurriedly, "Where are you going?"

He shrugged with one shoulder, "To the music room for some independant study. I really need to get a head start with the club's ideas for next week."

I grinned in relief and dropped my hand back to my side. "I'll come with you."

Kaoru looked at me with suspicion and I flashed him an innocent grin. Shaking his head to the side with a miniscule smile, he had no choice but to let me join him.

Saying farewell to Haruhi and assuring her that Kyouya will know of her disobedience, Kaoru and I raced to the club's room, our carefree laughter resounding in the hallways. Once we slowed down to a walk, Kaoru grew unusually quiet and I couldn't help but find the silence unbearable.

Slinging an arm across my brother's shoulders, I leaned my entire body on to him. "What are you thinking about? You've been out of it all day, Kaoru", I drawled, keeping my face angled toward his.

Kaoru laughed gently, his shoulders bumping into my chest while we walked. "Really? I haven't noticed."

"Well, /I/ noticed", I tutted. "Don't tell me you're still worrying yourself over the party next weekend?"

His eyes dropped to the ground's surface, and the uncertainty in his voice alerted me to the hidden lie. "No, I'm not worried at all."

A frown knitted my brow and I flicked Kaoru's ear. He yelped in surprise and I swung him around to face me; Kaoru's eyes were wide and full of shock at my sudden manhandling.

"Don't lie to me, Kaoru. It's no use; you always get caught someway or another", I muttered, my words dripping with hurt. Seeing his eyes tighten, I forced a laugh to bubble out of my mouth, lightening the tense moment. "You always sucked at lying. I was the pro at it."

Running his fingers fluidly through his orange locks, Kaoru chuckled quietly. "There's no getting passed you, huh?"

"Nope", I smirked, pulling him to my side and guiding him through the hallway. "I'm your /twin/, I should know when you're lying to me."

Kaoru said nothing, just bathing in my warmth. When we were twenty feet away from the double doors of the club room, he stops in his tracks. I wait, puzzling over ideas as to why Kaoru would pause like that. Really... He's acting weird today, and it's starting to bug me.

"Kaoru?", I asked, holding my hand out so that I can lead him inside the room. Kaoru didn't move, but he lifted his eyes when I called his name. His somewhat timid smile was pronounced perfectly, and I could only marvel at how he seemed so /angelic/ at the moment.

"...Sorry...", he murmured, his tone shy and reserved. It was funny... Kaoru only ever uses that kind of voice when we act for the host club and its attendees. This only added to my list of Kaoru's strange behavior today. It left me baffled and somewhat... pleased.

I stared for a second longer than necessary before a grin pulled at the edges of my mouth. Leaning forward gracefully (or as much as I can without the blazer being creased), I brought his hand to my cheek and placed it there. His eyes were roaming mine and I simpered in retaliation. "Let's go inside Kaoru."

He nodded, and with that, I directed us both in to the club room with high spirits.

--End of Chapter One/Hikaru's POV

**author notes: **First time writing an Ouran story, haha~  
I've been in the Ouran fandom for a couple of weeks now and I just HAD to write a story for the twins. Love 'em to death! Anything that seems out of character, please let me know. Reviews are very nice to read by the way~ *hint hint*


	2. Chapter 2

**_Answered Reviews_ =  
angelicravenx3: **Thank you! Haha, yeaaa I agree~ I love Kaoru more than Hikaru for some reason. But I prefer them together, definitely. 8D  
**anonymous reviewer: **I'm glad you like my writing style! =D I had to use the thesaurus for alot of words though, haha.  
**xBakura's lovex:** Oh gosh, YAY! I was so worried that the characters were going to be OOC but I'm glad you don't think so. =D Hopefully, they'll all remain in character until the end of the story. xD  
**Darkhuntress01: **lol, thank you! Here's the next chapter for you~

**Echo my Love**

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_Chapter Two_

( Kaoru Hiatchiin's Point of View )

Hearing me sigh for the third time in half an hour, Hikaru turned on the couch to deliver me a look of annoyance. "Would you /quit/ that?"

Offended, I rushed an apology before bringing my attention back to the task at hand. I was twirling a pencil expertly with my fingers as I locked my eyes on to a page of the note book splayed out in front of me. My hastily-scribbled handwriting stared back and I bit my lip to avoid drawing another sigh. Hikaru and I have been in the club room for nearly an hour. My older brother was lounging on the couch, playing a new game on our gameboy while I was sitting at a nearby table, on the verge of tearing my hair apart to come up with new ideas.

As I scratched off a sentence on the page, I forgot to hold back a sigh. Hearing me exhale loudly, Hikaru's head snapped up from his game and darted me a fierce glare. Looking at his irritated expression, I snorted before falling into a laughing fit. His eyes hardened, and I gripped a side of the table to gain control of myself. "S-Sorry Hikaru! It's just... preparing for the dance isn't as easy as I thought it would be."

Picking himself up from his seat and tossing the device on a nearby couch cushion, Hikaru walks over to where I sit. "Well, it's your fault for volunteering. You should've known it would be troublesome to think of ideas for the club", he said smartly, his all-knowing voice triggering a deep regret within me.

Groaning, I held my head with both hands and kept my voice at a rational level. "I know... It wouldn't be so hard if the club didn't already use over thirty cosplays."

Hikaru laughed openly at my distress and brought a chair to my side. "I'll help you, just because you're my adorable little twin", he snickered, tapping my cheek with a pad of his finger. I swatted his hand away but then Hikaru draped his entire arm around my neck. Not even bothering to fight it off, I heard Hikaru ask curiously, "So what do you need help with anyway?"

Pushing the notebook in front of him, I nodded at the short list. "All of that." It was his turn to sigh, "We've got alot of work to do, Kaoru."

I couldn't agree more.

*

Interval arrived before we knew it. The first ones through the doorway was Tamaki and Kyouya with Hani and Mori following in their shadow. Haruhi wouldn't be here until ten minutes before the club was opening to the public, like always.

"You two are here early", Tamaki remarked, raising his eyebrows with a delighted smile. He closed his violet eyes and placed a hand over his heart in a melodramatic manner. "It's a nice quality to always be on time. Afterall...", his eyes opened and they snapped on me and Hikaru. "It should be considered a crime to let a fair maiden wait for their prince."

Cleaning the notebook and pencils scattered across the table top, I cleared my throat pointedly. Hikaru, catching my drift, snickered, not even bothering to hide his grin.

Tamaki's face drifted on the border of puzzlement as he blinked three times. "What is it?"

After I finished my duty, I turned and saw Hikaru fold his arms across his chest, the smirk never fading. Walking towards him, I perched my chin on one of his shoulders with a duplicated expression. Perplexed, Tamaki could only stare.

"Milord, if that's true, then what would you be?", Hikaru asked, his tone light but accusing.

"It's understandable for Hikaru and I to be the royalty, but /you/..."

"You're more like the frog that needed a kiss to transform into a prince", Hikaru shrugged, a laugh coating his voice.

We watched Tamaki grow flustered; his face turned beet-red and his eyes dilated in anger. Even though he was working his mouth furiously, no noises came out. Tamaki was struck speechless and that made me and Hikaru cackle even harder.

On cue, a girl peered around the open door into the music room. "E-Excuse me?"

Everyone turned to look at the intruder and she blushed under our combined stares. "My friends and I were just wondering if.. if the host club was open yet."

Kyouya stepped forward the instant she elaborted and smiled in a way that was too kind for someone like him, "Of course. The Host Club is open and ready to accept you."

Never missing a beat, Tamaki gently grasped her hands in his while stringing silky words together as an attempt to woo her. She giggled and flushed deeply that forced me to look at Hikaru instead. He looked almost nonchalant with the entire situation now that teasing Tamaki was over. Hikaru turned to me and I read the hidden message behind his eyes: /I'm bored./

I lowered my head so that I was regarding him through thick lashes. /Then let's give them a show they'll never forget./

The corner of his mouth twitched upwards before he yanked me towards him. Our bodies were pressed tightly together, not even an inch of space was seen. I could tell every pair of eyes were onto us, and I managed to conceal a satisfied smile.

"Kaoru...", Hikaru whispered, but it was loud enough to carry across the room. He tilted my chin up with a finger, making our eyes lock on to no one but each other. "I can't take it anymore, Kaoru. I won't ever let you go!"

I played my part well and blushed at his declaration like I was supposed to. Tightening my clutch on the front of his uniform, I turned my head away sharply. It was dramatically done, and many girls drew sharp breaths like Hikaru and I predicted. "I have to go, Hikaru! You know I don't have a say in this.... It's only for a few hours, brother."

Hikaru ducked his head and his bangs blocked our audience from seeing his eyes. I was able to though, and I spotted the spark of excitement in them. My chest heaved in happiness; whenever Hikaru was enjoying himself, so was I. It was always like that, even when we were kids. Whatever Hikaru liked, I did too, and vice versa.

"...A few hours is too long, you know that Kaoru."

"Yes."

"... I don't want you to go..."

"..I know that too."

It didn't even take Hikaru to start breaking down before a crowd formed around us. Hikaru and I were the main attraction, naturally.

"Hikaru-kun, Kaoru-kun... What's the matter? Are you being forced apart?", A girl asked loudly, raising her voice to be heard over the low whispers. I buried my head into the crook of his neck and let Hikaru do the explaining.

"Our mother's fashion company wants individual interviews of the Hitachiin family. Mine isn't due until four months from now, but Kaoru's....", he let his sentence trail off, a sign for me to complete it.

"My interview takes place tomorrow afternoon", I answered quietly, my gold-flecked eyes downcast and swimming with fake tears, courtesy of our Menthol ointment we bought days before. It's too bad I can't cry at will like Tamaki; I always need an aid.

Needless to say, I looked pitiful and the girls swooned at the sight of my tear-filled eyes.

"Poor Kaoru! You have to be seperated from your brother for so long!"

"Oh Hikaru! He has to endure hours away from Kaoru!"

Hikaru seized his chance to deepen our sob story. "It's possible that other interviewers would want to question Kaoru tomorrow. That would mean /double/ the hours.."

We were making this up as we went along, and everything we said were composed of lies. The entire Host Club probably knew this, but didn't risk calling us out because of our high sell rates.

Even so, the ladies weren't aware of anything out of place and cooed comforting words to us. It was almost unbearable; I snickered and successfully changed it into a pathetic sniffle. Nobody except Hikaru noticed a thing, and I saw the shadow of a smirk cross his features.

The rest of our brotherly act continued. Girls who're usually crawling all over Tamaki designated us because of our unruly scene we caused; it was beginning to get on our lord's nerves much to our pleasure.

Once the last of our customers walked out the door, I raised myself from the love seat Hikaru and I shared. "That wasn't so bad."

"Not at all. We're the most requested hosts today", Hikaru grinned at me, and his teeth were visible before disappearing behind the rim of a tea cup. I beamed back because Hikaru's smiles were always infectious.

"Milord doesn't seem too happy", I pointed out, holding my hips with a small smirk in place. "He's whining because we stole all of his precious customers."

My eyes were pinned onto the sulking figure across the large music room. Tamaki was sitting in his corner while doodling invisible circles on the polished floor, mumbling nonsense.

Hikaru chuckled once, placing the tea cup down delicately onto the glass table in front of us. Getting up as well, he dropped a hand onto one of my shoulders. "Why don't we go add some oil to the fire?"

My smile grew larger at his suggestion and we both faced the corner at where Tamaki was moping. "Nice plan."

Marching over to our lord, we both crouched down on either side of him. Tamaki stiffened at our unwanted arrival, as if preparing himself for a struggle or a fight. I glanced at Hikaru surreptitiously and saw a devilish smile stretch itself across his face. I could feel my mouth do the same and we simultaneously pulled Tamaki on to his feet by the arms. He let out a surprised shriek and that only increased our amusement. Dragging him across the room and plopping him in the seat across the table from Kyouya, Hikaru and I felt accomplished.

"Wh-What are you two doing?!", Tamaki seethed in animosity, his usually bright eyes now blackened with rage.

We spread our hands and shrugged, "We were bored."

"You..! You demonic brothers!"

As Tamaki threw his tantrum with Hikaru and I faking ignorance, Kyouya shut his laptop with a click. That got our attention, and we all swiveled our head in the demon lord's direction.

"Kyouya?", Tamaki asked, face no longer holding the malice it had earlier.

"If I were you three, I wouldn't cause such a hassle", Kyouya-senpai said calmly, but I thought I detected a hint of irritation in the way he talked. Delivering a clear look of dispassion over his glasses, he continued on, "There is a young lady waiting for your service behind me, boys."

Directing our attention to the space he jerked his thumb at, Hikaru and I swiftly made our way over to the isolated damsel sitting at one of the comfortable armchairs, unattended. We heard our lord following in our footsteps rather hastily but paid him no mind.

I latched my slender hands over the girl's and held onto them like my life depended on it. Hikaru, on the other hand, was bending over the back of the chair, his hands resting gingerly on her bony shoulders.

Inclining forward, my face was barely an inch away from hers. I whispered huskily, "You're a new face, but why do you look so lonely? Should we accompany you?"

Hikaru tipped his head and took on the same tone as me. His breath brushed the shell of her ear, "We wouldn't want you to be... so /alone/."

Scorching like any other typical female, the girl gasped in what we figured was delight. Before we could make the next move, Tamaki yanked me away from her, letting me stumble into one of the nearby tables. Hikaru shouted instinctively and removed himself from the back of the couch to run to my aid.

We glowered at the towering figure of our lord, who was equally irate. "That isn't how you treat a pretty princess! Learn some manners before you try to give service to someone other than each other!"

I only glared harder, and Hikaru scoffed. "What are you talking about, /my lord/? We were offering her the best kind of service."

We were starting a commotion, because nearly every body in the room were watching us. Hikaru and I weren't fazed at all by the attention. Straightening my Ouran uniform, I stuck closer to Hikaru's side.

Tamaki jabbed a finger at us, his voice sharp like daggers, "Seducing a lady is not the proper way! It's reckless and gives off a false sense of security!"

I turned to Hikaru and we shared unimpressed fronts. After a moment, we concealed a devious smile behind a flawlessly constructed mask and bowed to Tamaki. He was taken aback, not expecting us to do this.

We pulled ourselves upright and smiled wholeheartedly as possible. "Sorry, milord! We'll make sure she's in good hands!"

"A-Ah, okay", he blinked, his stance loose and less intimidating. Flashing him the same innocent grins, we made our way to our new guest. We heard Tamaki boasting at how he finally came through to us, but that wasn't the case.

I took the available seat next to our blushing newcomer and shot Hikaru a specific look across the table. He knew what it meant; his smile was a signal that he understood.

Tamaki's words were nothing but a nuisance to hear. Afterall... What sort of woman don't like advances anyway?

*

As promised, the girl (whose name we gathered to be Emilia) was well taken care of. Providing Emilia the full attention she desired, I faced her on the couch, my weight being supported by the fancy cushions.

"So you're new here then?", I raised my eyebrows and smiled, my interest being piqued. "That's unusual. Ouran usually don't accept any foreign transfer students during the middle of the school year. Isn't that right, Hika?"

I didn't get a response, so I glanced over at my twin to find him staring down at the cup in his hands. "Hikaru?"

"...Yeah.."

His voice was withdrawn, almost sad, and it made my eyes widen. "Hikaru?", I questioned in concern, my brows knitting together and forming a crease. My brother ignored me, instead bringing the cup to his lips and taking a long sip.

It was as if our roles were switched; that somehow, I was the dominant one in our act. Except this wasn't an act, at least... not that I was aware of. Strangely though, he's been quiet during the entire time Emilia talked of her journey to Japan from Europe. Hikaru was bored halfway through the conversation, I knew that much at least. The way he kept allowing his eyes to slide shut or how his shoulders slumped were all obvious signs to me. But right now, his grip he had on the cup was pretty tight. Almost as if he was immensely annoyed with something.

My thoughts were focused entirely on Hikaru, who was now swirling his tea with a small spoon. I didn't even know that Emilia was speaking to me.

"...nice here. I especially enjoy being at the host club. I've heard many girls talk about it during lunch. I knew I had to stop by when I get the chance and I'm glad I did."

"Huh?", I blinked away from Hikaru and fixed my stare onto Emilia. She wrung her hands together nervously and a red hue flecked her cheeks. "I... I'm happy I met you, Kaoru-kun." She looked up from her hands and smiled bashfully.

Chuckling hesitantly, my eyes flickered from Hikaru back to Emilia. Both were watching my reaction; Emilia was fidgety while Hikaru's face dawned with an emotion I couldn't put into words. The scowl he was sporting wasn't exactly nice to look at. Rubbing my fingers along the hairline at the back of my neck, I grinned a bit reluctantly. "I feel the same way about you, and I'm glad you enjoy the host club."

The pleased and jubilant smile she presented me made my heart sink. It wasn't that Emilia was a bad girl, she was anything but. However, interacting with her so comfortably in front of my sour twin didn't help matters.

Averting my eyes away from them, I picked up my own tea and forced myself to drink.

--End of Chapter Two/Kaoru's POV

**authors note: **Honestly? I think I could've wrote this better, but I decided to just half-ass it. Eheh. ^^;  
I hope those of you who stick by me this far aren't disappointed with this chapter. I swear I'll try to make the next chapters better! xD  
Oh, and I already planned out the entire story and its chapters. I've decided that there's going to be eight chapters for this story. :]


	3. Chapter 3

**_Answered reviews_ =  
Whitemajic: **I loved reading your reviews and thanks for reviewing on both chapters! =D LOL, yeahhhh - I tried to stay in character with Hika and made him jealous of her a bit. Hopefully I didn't overdo it. xD

**Echo my Love**

*****

*****

_Chapter Three_

( Hikaru Hitachiin's Point of View )

Even though hours passed since the events at the host club, I am still experiencing that unusual bitterness. Kaoru is slipping into his pajamas, his back facing me. I'm sitting on the edge of our shared mattress, head bowed, eyes closed, trying to swallow Kaoru's actions from earlier.

That Emilia girl... Who does she think she is? Just the thought of her makes my temper accelerate to an impossible height. Raking my fingers through my hair roughly, I huffed. Geez... What was getting me so worked up for anyway?

I buried half of my face into a palm, my eyes meeting Kaoru's from the other side of the room. He was now fully dressed into his night clothes, a trace of a smile visible. "What are you staring at? Keep that up and I'll be blushing", Kaoru teased, his waist a roost for his hands.

Unperturbed by his slight jab, I bit my lip, contemplating on how to word my question. It's been a constant nag ever since we left the club today. Kaoru hadn't moved from where he was standing, as if knowing I was going to speak. I silently thanked him.

"Why are you doing that?"

Kaoru's eyes expanded, his lips slightly parting in mystification. "Eh?"

Grunting in frustration, I slouched and burned my gaze into the carpeted floor. "You two seem to be the best of friends now."

"Best.. of friends?", he repeated quietly, his expression swinging from confusion to the territory of worry. A flush rose to my cheeks, and I fell back onto the futon. Pulling an arm over my eyes, I hid my humiliated face. This was too awkward beyond words, and here I thought twins were able to communicate in any sort of situation without exchanging verbals. Clearly, Kaoru and I lacked emotional unworded conversations where only one of us was affected.

Kaoru, always being the more clever, seemed to dive for the core as to why I was so vexed. "You mean Emilia?"

A low growl coursed through my throat and made its exit pass my lips. "Who else?", I spat, "It's not like you've been talking to anyone else for an entire hour."

"I'm just satisfying customers. Nothing to be mad about, Hika."

"You **over**satisfied her. '_I feel the same way about you_'... What the hell was all that about?"

His gentle laughter reached my ears, and I jumped up into a sitting position to glower. Kaoru's doubled over, hands on his stomach as he chuckles. My mood blackens by the second, and I can't help but whisper venomously, "What's so funny?"

My twin's head lifts and our line of sight connects once more; but his eyes holds a softer glint whereas mine's full of envy and misery. "I think you're jealous, Hikaru." Kaoru's tone was compassionate, but I didn't seek any comfort from them.

Sputtering useless incoherent words, my eyes broke the link and darted to the floor once more. Feeling my entire being burn from embarrassment, I seethed through my teeth, "Bullshit..."

A second (or was it an hour?) slugged by in silence until Kaoru took short steps towards me. I didn't dare look up, but I /did/ notice the mattress cave in because of his weight. Wordlessly slinking his arm around mine, his fingers threaded themselves between my digits in perfect unison. I just sighed and didn't voice how my heart swelled at the intimate touch.

*

"Hmm... You must've been in such a hurry today, Kaoru. Your hair is all mussed up."

"Hikaru! It wouldn't be messy if you hadn't given me my sweet morning greeting!"

"Don't say it like that, Kao. The ladies might believe that you don't like my approaches", I flirted, carressing my younger brother's cheek while our requesters shivered with anticipation. I started to fix Kaoru's bangs with a couple of bobby pins, my fingers skimming across his forehead affectionately.

"Hikaru.. You know that I...", he murmured, cheeks flaring with an impressive hue of pink. Unfortunately, he couldn't finish his sentence because someone called his name from somewhere behind us. Glancing up, my mouth twisted down into a frown when I saw the intruder. Kaoru removed his chin from my gentle hold to look over at the person who interrupted our act: Emilia.

She was holding herself insecurely by one of the wings of our armchair Kaoru and I shared (the couches were taken by the other hosts). Emilia's face was disguised with uncertainty as she took in the sight of us intwined. I felt a bit smug but didn't show it as I repositioned myself beside Kaoru and crossed one leg over the other.

"Ah, yes?", Kaoru smiled warmly. Neglecting the desire to glare and scold him for being too nice, I bit my tongue and busied myself by nibbling the cake a girl across from me offered.

"K-Kaoru-kun... I was wondering...", she said, and the rest of her sentence was droned out because I can't stand the stuttering. It was annoying as hell and I felt proud of my brother for listening to her.

What she said must have been a question to sit at our table because Kaoru actually went out of his way to bring a chair beside ours. After that... Well, after that, he started talking to /her/, leaving me alone to attend to our customers. I can't handle this distance, and it was beginning to piss me off.

Naturally, I did what any other older brother would do. I brought Kaoru's attention back onto me instead of Emilia. It was an act of selfishness but it's not like I care.

Carefully tearing a piece of my cake off with a fork, I guided Kaoru's face closer. His eyes were nearly bulging and I would've laughed if I wasn't trying to stay by my script. Placing the tip of the fork against his lips, I urged him with a soft, "For you..."

Kaoru automatically opened his mouth, letting me feed him. All the girls' screaming of happiness fell on deaf ears while I broke into a grin. Wanting to check Emilia's reaction, my eyes glanced upwards. What I found wasn't disappointing at all; she looked lost and somewhat in awe by our act. Taking this a bit further, I deliberately let the edge of my fork trail across Kaoru's cheek without him knowing.

Just as he was about to pull away with a blank expression, I tugged him back closer to me and nearly everyone in our audience fainted with ecstasy. I distinctly heard a faint gasp from where Emilia sat. This was going exactly as planned.

"Kaoru.. There's a spot right..", I lowered my head to whisper seductively, "/here/.."

Without further ado, my tongue lapped at the corner of his mouth expertly. My twin was dumbfounded by my forward actions and was probably wondering why he wasn't aware of my plans ahead of time. Licking my lips and smiling widely, I released Kaoru to face our screaming fans. My eyes were unfocused though; I was too caught up in the moment. Slyly peering to the side, I noticed a couple of things.

First was Kaoru. His expression was priceless; torn between bemusement and incredulity, he used two fingers to touch the spot where I fondled him. Laughing in self-enjoyment, I placed a hand on his right cheek reassuringly.

Stumbling into his role, he held my hand and whispered my name like he was supposed to. Color flooded his cheeks soon after. I admit, it did take him a while to know where I was heading with this, but he got it in the end. No one other than ourselves knew that this was all last-minute scheming; a scheme that I stealthily developed without even my twin knowing.

Triumphant with the results, I stared at Emilia in such a frank way that she covered her mouth with a hand and disappeared behind it. The last I saw of her was the impossibly red tint lighting up her entire features.

I smirked. _Mission accomplished._

--End of Chapter Three/Hikaru's POV

**Author Notes: **Gah, I wanted to finish this chapter SO badly. Mostly because the twins seem so OOC in this one. *cries*  
Next chapter will be Kyouya-centric, surprisingly. It'll be about the twins (Hikaru mainly) interogating Kyouya, host club plans for next week, Emilia's "status", etc. I'm kinda looking forward to it though, haha~  
Leave reviews please! That way, I can find what I can improve on (like their personalities and whatnot). D


	4. Chapter 4

**Answered Reviews=  
moonlightstar12:** YAY, thank god they aren't OOC. x3 This is the next chapter for you!~  
**Whitemajic:** LOL Hitachiincest fans unite! Yeahhh, originally Emilia was supposed to be this snotty rich chick but somehow she got transformed into a shy, sweet girl. I don't know how that happened.  
**liquidity:** Thank you for pointing out some errors! 8D I went back and edited some spelling mistakes, heh~ And the pretense thing is a natural fault for me. I always stay in the past tense for some reason. x(  
**anonymous reviewer:** lol i wonder why your comments are cutting off. xD maybe it's because you're not logged in or something? Haha, yeah! I always picture Kaoru as a little sweetheart~  
**AkatsukiSinx666: **Aww thank you! Seriously, without a thesaurus, I'd die. :3  
**xBakura's lovex: **I'm glad you think it's refreshing! 8D We need more stories with Hikaru's POV I guess. But I'm glad you think I'm doing a good job with this; I honestly thought I'd portray Hikaru all wrong since the dude is so emotional in the manga and anime. xD

**Echo my Love**

*****

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_Chapter Four_

( Kyouya Ootori's Point of View )

I was expecting today to be like any other normal day. For me to sit at my usual table in the music room, enjoying commoner's coffee while calculating the club's finances. So what a surprise when both Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin walked through the double doors, seeking my council. Their presence itself created a foreboding atmosphere.

"Kyouya-senpai", Hikaru called, settling himself in the seat opposite me. His younger brother mirrored him and I once again wondered how these two can be so united in the things they did.

"What is it?", I asked, my uninterest etched onto my face as I flipped through a catalog. Passing a page that was a tribute to recent sightings of giant tuna in east Asia, I looked up briefly. My hand paused over the next page, vision magnifying in on Hikaru's face. To say he looked troubled was an understatement. He seemed nearly impossible to approach based on the unattractive scowl that was now darkening his appearance. Vibes of irritation were sparking off of his body like a firecracker. Next to him, Kaoru also seemed affected by this sudden mood swing and was watching Hikaru warily out the corner of an eye.

Tossing a notebook in front of me, Hikaru gestured at it with a hand carelessly. "Kaoru and I wrote down some ideas the club could use for next week."

Examining the surprisingly long list of themes and cosplays, I smiled in approval. "So you'll be handling the cosplays correct?"

Kaoru made a noise of assent and bent forward in his seat with his arms folded on the table. "Our mother's insisting, and Hikaru and I already have an idea of how we should design Haruhi's dress. This is all custom-made afterall."

Clicking the end of my pen, I crossed off 'waiters/waitresses' from the chart. "We've already done a catering approach before."

Hikaru and Kaoru shrugged together, speaking in dull tones, "We just wanted to see Haruhi in a waitress outfit."

"Of course", I said dryly, my eyes still speculating the page. "Tamaki mentioned holding a masquarade ball instead of a simple dance. He believes it'll keep things interesting."

"Masquerade...", Hikaru began, darting his twin a telepathic glance.

"...ball?", Kaoru finished, eyeing his brother.

"That's right. The king originally wanted a summer theme to contrast the upcoming winter but changed his decision yesterday after the meeting."

Their apathetic moods returning, the Hitachiin brothers leaned backwards, their arms dangling from the rear of the chairs. "Doesn't matter to us. Showing some skin actually draws in more customers."

Smiling, I used a finger to balance my glasses on my nose evenly. "Of course, but the holidays is sooner than what Tamaki expected and our last hosting will be the day before break. Having a winter theme works out perfectly."

Scrutinizing the two before me, Hikaru dropped his gaze to the polished table top, no longer joining in the conversation. Kaoru was persistent though, his mind not straying from the topic. "Wait. Does that mean we're having decorations?"

Slashing a few ideas off the draft, I nodded. "An authentic pine tree will be placed in the central salon. I booked the hall specially once I received permission from the school's chairman. The night will be ours."

"That's-", Kaoru began, a smile tugging on his lips before it faltered. Lowering his head, his eyes shifted to his brother's profile. "-great..."

This behavior was peculiar on both of their accounts. What was bothering Hikaru I wonder? Using my wrist as a resting place for my chin, I considered the possibilities. They could've been in an arguement perhaps, but over what?

I've been noticing drastic changes in their brotherly love acts for the past couple of days (their profits dropped a considerable amount). The gestures became more desperate on Hikaru's part and the acts were gradually getting slower. The reason behind that was simple; our newest attendant, Emilia, was drifting between the two brothers by plundering Kaoru's attention. It was possible that Hikaru was feeling threatened by her, but did Kaoru feel the same?

"Well. Is there any particular theme you were hoping to use?", I asked, thinking of changing the subject to ease the sudden constriction in the air.

Kaoru scratched his head, looking sheepish. "Yeah.. Kinda. It's this one", he mumbled, pointing to a line on the page with a finger. I looked down to find the words 'fairy tale' in bold.

"Fairy tale?"

"It's just something I thought of last night. Haruhi can be the princess", Kaoru added as an afterthought, grinning to himself. Betraying no emotion, I kept a calm character though my mind was reeling. Fairy tale theme? What could he possibly be thinking?

However, before I could inquire further on where Kaoru was taking this idea, Hikaru cut across my train of thought completely.

"Kaoru..."

"What?"

"..I think I forgot my bag in the library. Do you think you can get it for me?"

"Eh? But Hikaru... We can get it together later or after-"

"Please, Kaoru."

"..Yeah", Kaoru nodded, getting up from his seat without any more objections. Heading towards the double doors, he closed it softly behind him and silence engulfed us both.

Those two always stayed within a certain proximity of each other, but to find Hikaru pushing his brother away was rare. I was also positive that Hikaru's bag was secured safely in his classroom where the first years usually kept them. For Kaoru to fall for such a lie was improbable. That would mean he left for Hikaru, no matter how transparent the tale was.

It was hard to say, but I preferred Kaoru's personality over Hikaru's. I learned how difficult it was to handle Hikaru's temper. In a situation like this, staying quiet was the best option.

Turning back to the notebook, I circled 'Fairy tale' with my pen.

I didn't need to wait long. Hikaru grew tired of the silence and severed the thick tension first.

"Kyouya senpai. I.. I have a favor to ask."

Feigning inattention, I closed the notebook and slid it under my clipboard that enlisted the schedules and request sheets. "You can ask, but unless I consider it important, I won't carry it out."

His hand that was on the table was clenching and unclenching tightly. It was due to either my lack of cooperation or because he was unclear of his query.

Sighing, Hikaru then brought his hand to his forehead and kept it there. With his eyes half-closed, his mouth barely moved when he slurred through his sentence. "Can you bring up the data of Emilia on your computer? I want to check something. I tried to do it at home but I needed a password for the customers' files."

"What is it that you want to verify?", I questioned, snapping the hood of my compact open. My fingers were dancing across the keyboard to access the password in order for me to log into the customers' restricted data files.

"I'm not sure..", Hikaru admitted, lowering his hand from his forehead. He gave me a hard stare, "Can you do this faster?"

"Why? Is this something Kaoru shouldn't be aware of?"

I hit the jackpot. His face changed entirely from being stubborn to a shaky form of fear. Glaring at my computer for a moment, he whipped his head to the side, golden bangs framing his face. "Thats none of your business Kyouya senpai."

He was defensive, like a cat hissing and ready to spring at the attacker; the attacker being /me/ in this scenario. Making no effort to reply or be a hindrance, I entered the folder where I keep information on all of the host club's guests. I clicked on Emilia Fujisako's name to extend her profile.

Spinning the laptop on the smooth surface of the table, I made the screen easy for Hikaru to browse. "Is this what you're looking for?"

His eyes swept to the monitor and crossed in concentration. Getting up from his seat, he leaned across the platform to scroll down to the lower half of the page. Seeming to detect something, he asked in a hushed voice, "She has the power to overrule boss' dad?"

Pushing my glasses firmly back onto the bridge of my nose, I corrected him. "Emilia Fujisako is the daughter of Jaken Fujisako, who has a fellow partnership with Tamaki's father. The catch is the Fujisako family goes way back; their family line has been respected and known even before the Hitachiin and Ootori name."

"Is that why she got enrolled into Ouran so easily?"

"Yeah, it was also in the school newspaper. Didn't you read the entry?"

"I don't read that crap. It's all made up of lies anyway", Hikaru grumbled, folding himself back into his respectable seat. Frowning at Emilia's picture in her profile, he groaned, "So I guess kicking her out of the club gets ruled out. Don't want her crying to daddy about us."

Interest finally reaching its limit, I withdrew the laptop back towards me before raising my eyebrows at him. "Tell me, what is it about her that makes you feel hostile? I've had the pleasure of meeting her and she's nothing short of harmless. I've been suspecting her friendliness towards Kaoru was making you more upset, but..."

A snarl rose within him, and he slammed two fists on the table, causing a nearby vase full of roses to vibrate unsteadily. "She's looking for /more/ than just friendship! I swear, the way she looks at him sometimes, I just...", his vented fury trailed off into muteness; the fire distinguished and left nothing but ignited ashes. Hikaru's hazel-flecked eyes were becoming strained and started blinking briskly while he flushed in anger.

"Cool your irritation, Hikaru. Your brother's back", I warned, not taking my eyes off of his murderous demeaner. He turned his head and glanced at the doorway where Kaoru was just making his way through a small gap.

Kaoru was slightly panting, his face betraying an emotion of cluelessness. "Your bag wasn't in there, Hika. I was searching everywhere, but I couldn't-"

"Yeah, I forgot that I left it in class. Sorry Kaoru."

"Oh..", he looked a bit put-off by his twin's snappy tone but enforced a grin. "Sure thing. Ready to go?"

Hikaru hummed in answer and backed away from the table, shoving both of his hands into his uniform pockets. He didn't even spare me a single look, but Kaoru sent a small wave in my direction before following Hikaru through the doorway.

Clasping my hands together, I became aware of a sinister smirk making its way across my lips. So I was right; Hikaru was being abused by Emilia's constant company in the host club meetings and his possessiveness over Kaoru was getting a hold of him.

Chuckling quietly to myself, I unearthed their notebook from under my clip board and thumbed through the thin pages. "Jealousy isn't a virtue nor is it a positive trait, Hikaru.."

"Kyouya?"

Looking over at the person who called me, I saw him round a couple of tables before standing at the spot Hikaru and Kaoru were earlier. He shook his yellow hair out of his eyes irritably and shot me a confused glimpse. "What are you still doing here? I came by, expecting the room to be empty."

The smile never left my face when I held the book up in front of me, indicating to the list. "I've recieved some ideas for the theme next week from the twins. How do you feel about fairy tales, Tamaki?"

--End of Chapter Four/Kyouya's POV

**author's note:** All I gotta say is: **Review Please!** I love replying to reviews and reading them. They're the only thing that makes me keep writing and honestly? I was going to put this chapter on hold for a couple of months but the amazing reviews I got for the last chappie made me motivated. So reviews are a good thing! 8D

Anyway, uhm. This chapter was the DEATH of me. GOD, I never knew writing for Kyouya would be so hard. That guy's so articulate that it makes me cringe to write for him. I had to keep referring back to a thesaurus. Also, I feel like I repeated some words alot, and I hate repetition. =\ Feedback will be greatly appreciated. For my readers who like Hikaru/Kaoru POVs, don't worry! The rest of the story will be in their point of view; this was just a special occasion. :]


	5. Chapter 5

**Answered Reviews=  
liquidity: **Thanks, I'm glad you liked it! 8D The fairy tale theme won't be explained so well in the story since it's not really relevant. I just thought I'd make their dance revolve around "fairy tales" since I think Kaoru (in the anime) has a thing for fairy tales, haha~  
**xBakura's lovex:** Whoo, yes I know what you're saying! =D Kaoru's HAWT. Next chapter, right here! 8]  
**anonymous reviewer: **LOL cross dressing Kaoru? hmmm, actually I wasn't thinking about that. D: Maybe, just maybeee~

**Echo my Love**

*****

*****

_Chapter Five_

( Hikaru Hitachiin's Point of View )

Stepping into the music room alone, I was shortly welcomed by Honey. Everyone else were already there, actively preparing for the opening in ten minutes. Making my way to where Haruhi was tying a silky black bow around her shirt collar, I offered an unenthusiastic greeting.

Noticing someone missing, she tilted her head over one shoulder to stare at me with large brown eyes. "Where's Kaoru?"

I sighed, kicking my feet against the floor idly. I didn't even bother to get changed into my butler outfit, not yet at least. "He's taking a test. I told him I'd wait for him until he finished, but he said I'll just be a bother. So I came ahead."

Haruhi leered at me, her hands frozen in the motion of pulling the material in a knot. I looked back at her, my gaze more challenging. That knowing glint in her eyes made me more irritated; it reminded me of Kyouya and his stupid provocations from yesterday. He kept insinuating something and I wasn't sure what it was exactly. But that annoying smirk he wore angered me more than anything.

She turned away, but not before I spotted her smile. Using an arm to put her in a headlock, I stood behind her and kept us in place. "What? Why did you give me that look?"

"What do you mean?", she asked, sounding way too innocent. She was sharper than what Kaoru and I gave her credit for so I'm sure she gave me that look for a reason. Not to mention, I hated being kept in the dark.

Tamaki chose that moment to march over to where we were, grab my arm, and twirl me away from Haruhi.

"Ah, Takashi, look! Hika-chan's dancing!", Honey shouted from somewhere afar, but I was too preoccupied with grabbing onto a nearby pole to steady myself.

"You pervert! No molesting my daughter, you got that?", Tamaki screamed, holding onto Haruhi protectively while pointing an accusatory finger in my direction. I bristled in retaliation and opened my mouth to yell a comeback but snapped it shut with a snarl. It wasn't worth it without Kaoru here. Besides, I just didn't have the energy to waste.

Lifting a single eyebrow at my rationality, Tamaki crossed his arms across his chest. "Why aren't you dressed yet Hikaru? Our customers will be arriving in precisely five minutes."

Rolling my eyes away from him and the rest of the group, I said, "It's not the same, I can't entertain without Kaoru. I'll change with Kaoru when he gets here."

"I see...", Tamaki muttered quietly, holding his chin with a hand. It was his famous 'thinking' pose so I decided to stalk away and leave him at it. Not long after that, the doors opened and allowed a bombard of girls to enter and flood the entire place.

Walking towards the back of the room, I paused in front of the counter that was loaded with the ingredients and materials for making coffee. From the brands, I could tell which coffee were regular or the instant type. Dragging one of the containers away from its fellows, I twisted the cap open and poured the solids into a mug.

While I was brewing my steaming cup of commoner's coffee and pouring milk into the cup, my thoughts were swirling around Kaoru. Did he take his test? How did he do? Maybe he's done and he's coming right now?

_We've been seperated way too often and I don't like it_, I thought acidly, mixing the liquid with a thin silver utensil. Bringing the rim of the cup to my lips, I sipped and mused about my little brother.

"Kaoru-kun?"

Coughing into my drink, I accidentally swallowed some of the steaming hot coffee. Thumping my chest hastily, I spun to gape at the unexpected intruder.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you, Kaoru-kun!", Emilia wailed, her eyes wide and terrified. My own eyes narrowed in both exasperation and confusion. _Why is she calling me... oh._

I felt disgusted; this girl called herself an admirer of Kaoru's but she couldn't tell us apart? I wanted to say that she was wrong, that I was /Hikaru/ and she should stay away from my brother. But the investigation I did yesterday came back full-force. If I set her off or bothered her in any way, there was a chance she'd inform her father. That wouldn't be good; Kyouya would definitely have my head if that happened.

Luckily, I knew everything about Kaoru, so impersonating him would be a synch. Tossing my bangs to the right in one fluid movement, I smiled easily. "I'm fine, really."

She smiled back, but it was doused in worry. I felt like flinging my cup across the room. Instead, I took another careful sip, accepting the pain of it running down my throat. "There must be a reason why you're here, Miss Emilia."

"Y-yes!" _Damn that stuttering, I can't take it._ "I.. I wanted to talk to you without your brother around. I don't think he.. likes me very much."

"Hikaru's just hard to please", I said cheerfully, my face guarding a gloating smirk. _You got that right._

Her head was ducked, but that blush charging up her neck and ears was easy to notice. This was starting to get on my nerves; placing the half-filled cup onto the counter, I leaned forward to tilt her chin up. It was a method I always used with Kaoru and I had no doubt it'll prove useful with her as well. As calculated, her face flushed entirely, and I could feel a fever coming on. Geez, girls were so easy to fluster.

"What is it that you want to say to me without Hikaru knowing?", I asked smoothly, my eyelids lowering exactly like how Kaoru's does during our acts.

"I heard th-that there's a b-ball next week a-and I was wondering if y-you.... you would dance with me?"

Curling my fingers away from her neck, I felt at a loss. There was definitely something I missed. "Dance.. with you?"

"Y-Yes! I know it's too early to ask, but... I was wondering if you would make a p-promise to dance.. with me... on that day..."

This was ridiculous. Emilia actually wanted to find Kaoru to ask for a dance? Knowing Kaoru, he wouldn't object.... Dammit!

Biting my lower lip to repress a heavy sigh, I chewed through my words. "Of course, Emilia. I promise I'll dance with you." _Kaoru won't, if I can help it. You'll be dancing with me, Hikaru, as a substitute instead._

Her blonde curls bounced as she delivered me a radiant smile. "Thank you!" Her happiness almost made me guilty of tricking her. Almost.

"It'll be my pleasure", I grinned cheekily, but it was too forced. Fortunately, Emilia didn't notice. She was saying things to me but I wasn't paying attention. I was glancing at the doorway too often, wishing for Kaoru to walk through. After what felt like an eternity, she finally scurried away, informing me something of a conference she needed to attend. Figures. If her family was so important, she'll need to attend meetings on a daily basis.

"Hitachiin!"

"What now?", I growled, dumping my cup into the sink. Seeing Kyouya motioning me over, I pulled myself forward, my feet dragging themselves across the marble floor.

Kyouya aimed the tip of his pen to his left and I looked over. A few girls were sitting at two couches, chatting amiably with each other. I gave Kyouya a look and he smiled in that hideous way. "Leaving your customers unattended is the sign of a bad host. I know you weren't planning on hosting until your brother returns, but these ladies are assertive."

My day couldn't get any worse.

*

_Why would they want to request me anyway? I'm useless without Kaoru. What's taking him so long?_, I thought moodily, using a fist to lean my cheek against. I was sitting on one end of a couch while my customers sat around me in a semi-circle.

"Hikaru-kun, I heard you and Kaoru-kun are designing the outfits for the entire host club! Is that true?", a brunette girl asked eagerly, her hands resting neatly on her lap.

I nodded, tearing away from my knuckles to look at her directly. "Yes, in fact, we already started on the designing. The only one we're still unsure of is Haruhi's dress."

"Haruhi-kun's wearing a dress to the dance?", another girl gasped excitedly. That question raised other questions and soon enough, all of my guests were starting to bicker. I glanced away and towards the doors again hopefully. The elegant gate remained tightly shut.

No longer able to tolerate the girls swooning over a mental image of Haruhi in a dress, I allowed my gaze to check on the other members. Tamaki was professionally swaying with a girl, mentoring her with dance steps. Haruhi was offering tea and cookies to various clients. Honey and Mori were conversing with their patients and Kyouya was typing away on his laptop.

Rubbing at the back of my neck roughly, I exhaled. _This is boring. _Moving to stand up from the couch and maybe make another round of coffee, I heard a door creak open.

"Sorry I'm late!", a voice exclaimed, and I nearly stopped breathing. There was Kaoru, grinning widely as he closed the space between us in long strides. Absently meeting him halfway, we embraced tightly and I felt a weight lift off my shoulders as Kaoru's arms vined around my back.

"Kaoru!", I laughed in relief, leaning back to get a good look at him. "How did you do?"

He shrugged, his hands now fitting themselves against the crook of my neck. "I'm not sure. I don't think I did horrible though."

Grinning sincerely, I patted his back in praise. His eyes elevated to my forehead and stared quizzically at the direction of my parting. Chuckling, I swept Kaoru's bangs to the side with a finger, where I usually part my hair. His befuddled expression only made my fondness grow.

"Kaoru-kun! We missed you!", the girls shrilled as we made way over to /our/ clients with our arms around each other.

"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. That test took longer than I expected, and the questions were so hard..", he whimpered, not losing any time to begin our act.

"Kaoru, I forgot", I said quickly, turning my head to look at him. "We were supposed to change into our cosplays now, remember? Here, Kaoru.. Let me help you with that..", I whispered playfully, tugging on the end of his charcoal neck tie.

"H-Hikaru..", he chimed, faking a dark blush while weakly clutching my hands to give the illusion of restraining me. "Such actions in front of these ladies! You're embarrassing me.."

I clicked my tongue, successfully managing to free his tie from around his neck. Dropping it on my spot on the couch, I took ahold of Kaoru's uniform blazer and pulled it down below his shoulders, exposing the white dress shirt underneathe. "There's nothing to be shy about, Kaoru. This is your penalty for making me wait so long. If it'll make you feel better, we can undress togeth-"

Next thing I knew, Kaoru and I were being shaken by our collars violently. "You little devils! Doing indecent actions in front of these pure, virtuous ladies! I won't forgive you!", Tamaki bellowed, letting us escape with a hard jerk.

"But boss, I can't help it if Kaoru's so irresistable!", I snickered, holding Kaoru's face lovingly in my hands. A round of thrilled screaming occured, and I heard my brother's rich laughter mingle with the yells of 'moe' from the flocking girls.

"I just don't know how to deal with you two..", Tamaki moaned, rubbing a temple like he had a migraine. I wouldn't be suprised if he did; all of these squealing girls were giving me a headache too.

Kaoru and I traded impish grins and I hazily wondered why I felt so overzealous and hyper now that he was back. For a fleeting second, I wanted to fill him in about Emilia, but decided against it. Kaoru will probably want to carry out her wish without a second thought and _that_ annoyed me beyond reason.

_I can keep it a secret for now, and anyway... _Binding our hands together, I noted how his lips curved upwards into a soft smile. _I don't want to ruin this moment._

-- End of Chapter Five/Hikaru's POV

**author's note: **An update so fast, whuuuut?  
I finished this two days ago actually (I pulled an all-nighter, haha). And originally, it wasn't supposed to hold alot of fluff, BUUUT since Christmas is coming up, I thought I'd add some sweet moments. I hate the way it ended though. =\  
Next chapter is Kaoru's POV and after that is Hikaru's POV where Kaoru will get sick. ;___;


	6. Chapter 6

**Answered Reviews=  
WhiteMajic: **I love you for reviewing every chapter! x3 LOL, well personally I think Kaoru won't pressure his brother into telling his little 'situation' with Emilia. I can't really picture him getting angry at Hika.  
**Seirai-chan:** Aw damn, really? I was hoping I used my words correctly. If you can point out specifics than I'll be really happy! I'm glad you think the twins are staying in character~ And nahh, I don't have enough ideas to keep the story going. There's going to be three more chapters after this and maybe an epilouge. x3  
**KimKitsune01:** Merry (late) Christmas! 8D And I'm right there with you, haha! Hitachiincest FTW!  
**Anonymous Reviewer:** LOL Don't worry, Kao won't dance with her but Hikaru will. =P  
**Moonlightstar12:** I'll keep trying to update quickly, I promise! 3 I'm glad you like jealous!Hika and confused!Kao~  
**xBakura's lovex:** LOL! I would love to do Hikaru's POV for the entire story but then I won't be able to get Kaoru's feeling into the story you know? x3 I'll try to keep updating soon! Happy (late) Holidays!

**Echo my Love**

*****

*****

_Chapter Six_

( Kaoru Hitachiin's Point of View )

Our parents were always busy; Mother owning a high-rated fashion company and Father managing a computer network, it was almost obvious how much time they spent with me and Hikaru. The amount being close to none.

With that said, it was never a mystery why Hikaru and I were so close. Ever since we were young, we never seperated ourselves from one another. When we were introduced to the Host Club, our world expanded greatly. But even so, I still hold that unique dependance on Hikaru and I'm certain he feels the same with me.

That's why I don't understand the reason behind Hikaru's secrecy. We shared everything together, so what was he hiding? Usually, I was able to read the small signs and figure it out, but he was skilled at keeping it hidden from me.

Besides, none of it made sense! Two days ago, we talked with Kyouya about our ideas but Hikaru cut across our discussion and asked me to get his bag from the library. I wasn't fooled at all; He wanted me to leave so that he can settle some private matter with Kyouya. Whatever it was, he didn't fill me in on it no matter how many times I asked.

There was also yesterday... While I was absent for the beginning of the host club to take a test, something must've happened to Hikaru. Ever since the meeting, Hikaru's been completely out of it. Something was weighing him down and I was determined to find out what it was.

I hated not being able to /know/, it frustrated me more than anything.

"Hikaru?", I called tentatively, scraping the edge of my chopsticks against the corner of my bowl. Since mom and dad were out, Hikaru and I ended up ordering take-out: today's dinner being sushi from the finest Japanese restaurant in the country.

His mouth was stuffed with food but he offered a feeble grunt to let me know that he was listening. I stayed quiet for a moment, thinking of the best way to ask and not come off as suspicious. I unconciously rubbed my knee against his leg; we were positioned across each other on our shared mattress. One of Hikaru's legs were wrapped around our dinner dishes like a barrier while the other was folded in. Likewise, mine mirrored his perfectly, creating a sort of circle around our food. He nudged a foot against my hip, his way of silently pressuring me to speak.

"You've been acting strange lately, you know..", I winced at the horrible conversation starter. Flicking my eyes over to where Hikaru was sitting, I saw him mix the wasabi sauce with the end of a chopstick. No doubt he wanted the dressing to be extra spicy, just the way we liked it.

I continued on, studying his every move. "You're still not pissed over Emilia are you?", I asked, keeping my tone meek and natural.

Hikaru leaned over sideways to grab his drink from off the rolling cart beside our bed. He stuck the straw in his mouth and mumbled around it, "Nah, I'm not that stupid."

Fixing him with an intense stare, I tried to believe him. No matter how hard I wanted to, I couldn't. I knew he was lying, and Hikaru's the idiot if he thinks I won't be able to tell the difference.

"Enough about that", Hikaru's voice startled me from my thoughts and began to comment on how delicious the sushi was. Shrinking, I hesitated before nodding in agreement. Silence enveloped us and only the clinking of silverware was heard.

"Kaoru", Hikaru said abruptly, a frown beginning to weave my brother's eyebrows together. "You barely even touched your dinner."

"It's just not suited to my tastes today, that's all..", I confessed, picking at my plate with a spoon. Something about the sushi made me lose my appetite, which was strange since we both liked seafood.

"You want to order something else? We can always go for Italian."

"It's fine, I'm not that hungry."

"Kaoru...", Hikaru complained, his growing concern becoming evident. I don't want to hear him; I hated making him unhappy or causing him any worries. Picking up a sushi roll skillfully, I placed it into my mouth and bit into it with a false grin. Hikaru eyed me off skeptically, and I munched harder to try and convince him.

"Anyway...", I gulped and tried not to show discomfort as I reached for Hikaru's drink. I pried it from his hands and sucked on the straw. "Excited for the dance?"

Something flashed across his eyes, but it was gone when I tried to examine them closer. "Yeah...", he smiled crookedly, but it was a bit off. It reminded me horribly of a grimace. Something was bothering him, but.. what?

"Ahh, show me some more enthusiasm Hikaru! I thought you'd be happy to see Haruhi in her dress", I said, laughing through the sharp pain in my side. It felt like needles stabbing the interior of my stomach but I tried not to think too much of it. Ignoring the incessive contractions, I hugged a nearby pillow to my chest tightly, hoping it'll ease the aches.

Hikaru does that thing where he dips his head and lets his bangs shadow his features. "Yeah..", he croaks, tone void of any detectable emotion. I definitely sense something amiss, but if Hikaru wanted me to know what was wrong, he would've told me already. Another silence reigned, but this time, it was more tense and awkward than before.

_He'll tell me... In time, I'm sure he will. He was always bad at keeping secrets to himself anyway._

Suddenly unsure of what to do, my eyelids lowered and forced my eyes downward in defeat. When my gaze locked onto a lonely vegetable roll on my plate, I grew inspired. Lifting the roll carefully with chopsticks, I leaned forward and prodded it against Hikaru's lips. "Say 'ahhh'", I commanded softly, a devilish gleam in my eye.

"Kao-", Hikaru interjects, but I shove the sushi into his open mouth. He chews slowly, his hazel eyes glimmering as gold under the soft glow of the lamp light. I giggled at my older brother's reproachful expression, feeding him another treat to pacify him. After accepting my offerings, Hikaru seemed to abandon his concern temporarily and laughed along with me.

My chuckles mellowed down into a troubled smile as I watched Hikaru enjoying himself. _It hurts to know he's keeping something from me. I wonder when he'll get the courage to talk?_

"Kaoru? Kaoru!"

Blinking, I focused my attention back onto my twin who was now swaying a piece of ootori like a pendulum in front of my sight. "Eh?"

His cat-like eyes clouded with worry at my late response. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I was just...", I trailed off, lifting a finger to pick at my cheek distractedly. I suddenly grew aware at how close the ootori was to me in the seconds that passed. "Hikaru? What are you doing?"

Just then, a sharp grin flitted across his lips, and I recoiled. It was /that/ grin; the one he always wears when he forms some ingenious prank. I call it the 'predatory' smile, and that would only mean I was the prey.

Fearing whatever he was planning, I made a move to get off the bed, but he grabbed my arm and restrained me at his side. Granted, his hold didn't hurt but I didn't like feeling trapped.

While I looked at him in irritation, he raised the food to my mouth. "Open up, Kao-_ru_", he sang mischievously, using a free hand to cradle my jaw.

Then it clicked: he was doing this on purpose! Knowing how little I was eating my dinner, this was probably one of his tricks to get food inside of me. _Damn._

I held back a miserable groan and silently obeyed. Delighted, he inserted the small piece on my tongue and smirked in satisfaction as I ate. I noted that his hand never left the side of my face until after I swallowed.

Panic started to rise within me and it had nothing to do with the fresh pain pricking my stomach as it digested the sushi with difficulty. No, it was more towards the thought of Hikaru's secret that had me on edge; doubt started to plague my mind. _Would he even be willing to share it with me?_

-- End of Chapter Six/Kaoru's POV

**author notes:** Okay, I had so much trouble with this chapter. The reason behind that is because I've been getting alot of comments/reviews saying that I portray the Hitachiin boys perfectly in character. So I felt really sef-conscious while I was writing for Kao. xP Writing for them came naturally, but now... it's getting a little complicated

Hopefully I didn't lose my touch or anything! Reviews are appreciated GREATLY!~ 33

Oh and the reason why Hikaru's all touchy and distant in this chapter is because he's dreading the promise he made to Emilia. Plus, he's trying to keep from spilling his secret to Kaoru, haha, so he's a little distressed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Answered Reviews=  
PhoenixShadow:** LOL sorry for the angst, haha. By the end of the story, there'll be sweet moments though of course! 3 Thank you for the AWESOME review! =D  
**darbimmergirl: **Thank you!!!  
**avatar-chik: **Yeah, I usually always write in first person since it's easier for me. =D I'm glad to know you enjoy this story!  
**xBakura's lovex:** LOL! Aw man, I had sushi the day I was writing about it in this story! haha, and the whole wasabi thing Hika was doing came from me. Welll - I was going to make the sushi scene more 'pleasureable' and 'sexy' but I didn't want to make them too OOC. xD Maybe the epilogue (if I ever decide to make one) will have some... nice things. *evil laugh*  
**Whitemajic:** LOL, wow.. Kaoru getting a tattoo down his arm? hahaha, I can't picture that at all~ But thank you for the encouragement! =D  
**AkatsukiSinx666:** hehe, I try to be sneaky. But the whole sushi scene wasn't yaoi-ish at all (at least not to my standards). =P  
**Anonymous Reviewer:** Thank you, thank you! I'm really glad you think I write them perfectly. =D

**Echo my Love**

*****

*****

_Chapter Seven_

( Hikaru Hitachiin's Point of View )

With my eyes closed tightly, I sunk my head deeper into the soft fabric of my pillow to block out that noise. I heard it again and I was able to pinpoint it as coughs. Flipping over onto my back, I blinked sleepily into the bright sunlight filtering through the curtains, dazedly deciding that it was past six in the morning. I rubbed my eyes with the heel of a palm before recognizing the source of my rude awakening.

Kaoru, sitting on the edge of the bed, was hunched over. His lips were parted very slightly, eyes half-lidded and strained while one hand was tightly clamping his side.

"Kaoru?", I whispered, my voice unnaturally deep due to tiredness. I cleared my throat and tried again, moving next to my brother. "Kaoru? What is it?"

Upon closer inspection, I noted how his normally peachy skin turned white as a sheet, and how small beads of sweat were dotting his forehead. All of these were obvious signs of distress.

"Kaoru!"

Panicking, I reached for his face, unintentionally smearing the cold perspiration onto his skin and my palm. He leaned into my touch unconsciously, his breathes coming in staggering huffs.

"I.. I don't feel so great Hika..", Kaoru mumbled as I wiped his temple with the corner of our blanket. I stared at him in worry, my head filled with questions of his vulnerable state. What was wrong with him? Was he sick? Was he dying?

"I think it might be.. food poisoning", Kaoru said in-between raspy coughs, as if knowing what I was thinking.

"Food poisoning?", I repeated numbly, one of my hands now rubbing his bare back while the other was supporting his face. He's violently hacking into a fist and I have to wait for him to finish before questioning further. "Kaoru?"

"There's nothing else to explain it", he reasoned, tugging my hand down from his cheek and grasping it weakly.

"But I ate some off from your dish and I'm... fine..", I finished lamely, and my eyes widened when I remembered feeding Kaoru last night. That would mean... it was partially my fault for forcing him to eat that food. I made absolutely sure that he finished his dish without leaving any crumbs.

Fear and guilt wallowed in the pit of my stomach, making me feel suddenly nauseous. My hand continued to stroke his back in circular motions, albeit more shakily than before.

Kaoru remained quiet and his eyes began to shut. I watched him sadly while my heart hammered with so many emotions. Regret, love, worry and dread were the most powerful ones that were hard to overlook.

A feeling of protectiveness washes over me and I gently push my twin back into bed, wrapping him with the thick comforter. "C'mon Kaoru, get some rest. I'll call a doctor right now, okay?"

He struggles against my hold, and I have to literally pin him down onto the mattress keep him still. "Hika, I'm really fine! Besides, the dance is only a few days away. We have to advertise it or else Kyouya will have a fit and -"

Honestly, school had slipped my mind; I was too caught up with my concern but when I heard Kaoru mention the dance, I snapped. Shaking his shoulders roughly, I flushed with anger, "Who gives a **damn** about Kyouya or the dance? Kaoru, worry about yourself! This is about **you**!"

Surprised by my outburst, he goes lack in my grip. His eyes carefully roam mine while murmuring, "Hikaru.."

I cover my eyes with a wavering hand, hoping to hide from his observant stare and somehow cool my temper in the process. "Fine... Whatever... I'll go and promote the dance... You just stay home and rest."

"Yeah.. I'll be there later."

I immediately face him, trying to start another contradiction but Kaoru pulls me down so that our faces are level. My breathing hitches as I check his face. He's smiling, and I know it's taking him alot of effort to keep that grin. He's driving happiness through his pain and I want to hit him for it.

Gently combing my bangs back with nimble fingers, he says softly, "I want to be there. It doesn't hurt much anymore. I want to go to school, Hikaru."

Knowing he was referring to what I said earlier about being selfless, I reluctantly let it go. His fingers slide down my face as I move to get off the bed. Walking over to our shared closet, I begin to get dressed for school, making sure my back was all he could see.

While I brushed the creases off of my uniform, I could feel his eyes glued on me. I closed my own eyes and expertly fixed the tie around my collar. When I stood in front of the life-sized mirror to check if the tie was crooked, I saw Kaoru's reflection. He was still laying on the same spot, the blanket covering up to his neck, exposing his pale face. It came as no shock that his gaze was still fixed on me.

Sighing heavily, I turned and met his stare defiantly. My tone was hard and challenging when I talked, "Make sure you get some sleep. Really, Kao.. I mean it!"

His easy smile came quick as a flash, snagging at my heartstrings. "Don't worry about me, Hika_ru_."

I wanted to (more than anything) shout at him for being so _stupid_; for actually thinking for a _second_ that I wouldn't worry. We were twins, Kaoru knew that. So why would he disregard my caring for him? It pissed me off even more and only added to my frustration.

Not even trusting myself to speak, I walked out the room without looking back. I alerted a few maids down in the kitchen of my brother's condition and trusted them to call our family doctor for treatment. Soon after, I skipped breakfast and signaled the parked limousine outside of the mansion.

I felt a magnetic force try and pull me back to the room I left minutes before, to where Kaoru was sick and lonely, as if my heart wanted to return to his side. It was the worst experience I have ever felt in my life.

Slamming the door when I got in the car, I finally glanced behind me, searching out the bedroom window. The curtains were shut from when I pulled them close last night. There was no sign of him at all...

It made me uneasy to think this would be the first day at school without Kaoru.

*

During first period, Haruhi halted at the sight of Kaoru's empty desk. She asked me where he was, and I sighed through my words as I explained. Haruhi was worried, but it wasn't on the same level to how I felt. I had to refrain myself from calling Kaoru and checking up on him in class. Those maids would be fired if they didn't make sure Kaoru got the rest or checkup that he needed.

The hour was slow enough to convince me that time was going backwards. My irritation for my brother increased, but my usual energy died out. It was as if Kaoru was my charge to get through the days, and now that he's not here.... I was lifeless.

After the period finished, a glower was ever-present on my face. I stood beside Haruhi's table as the rest of the class filed out of the room. Haruhi said nothing to me as she cleaned her things, but kept shooting me apprehensive peeks out the corner of an eye.

I got tired of it after a while and turned to her with a frown. "Stop."

"Stop what?"

"Looking at me like that! I don't like it."

"I'm sorry", she said, hoisting the bag strap over a shoulder, "But worrying about Kaoru isn't the answer. He wouldn't like the way you're acting Hikaru. You said it yourself that he's coming later. We'll be able to see him again soon, right? So calm down."

She looked up at me, her face entirely composed without a sign of anguish, the exact opposite of how I looked and felt right now. I shook my head slowly, my eyes averting to the right. "It's not that easy."

"Huh?"

"..Forget it. I'm going to the clubroom. See you later."

*

Walking through the hallways made me go rigid with outrage. The stares were annoying, but the whispers quickly became fuel to my anger. Everywhere I went, girls were muttering to each other and I could hear them clear as day.

"_I wonder where the other one is? Is that Hikaru? Or Kaoru?"_

_"Oh no, something must've happened!"_

_"Why is there only one Hitachiin at school today?"_

_"Do you think he got in trouble?"_

After listening to a pair of girls gossip about Kaoru (though they had no idea which one of us was absent), I gritted my teeth and ignored them. Those girls, those comments, they were /nothing/. If Kaoru could be strong and grin through his pain, I can handle a few rumors.

Reaching the doors to the clubroom, I placed a palm against one, feeling the cool marble against my skin.

A broken sigh fled my throat, "_Kaoru_.."

Dropping my fingers down the plank, I then grasped the pair of golden handles. Pulling the twin doors open, I edged into the room gracefully. The fragrance of rose petals was very distinct; Kyouya must've ordered a new batch just recently.

My eyes scanned the room for the bouquets but froze when they landed on one of the couches.

I could only see the broad back of it, but a tuft of auburn hair was visible from one of the armrests.

Recognizing that hair color anywhere, I moved closer, peering over the furniture with bated breath.

Kaoru's face swam into view; clad in his Ouran uniform (except for his blazer, which was covering a nearby stool), he was laying on the cushions, lost in a sweet dream.

His expression, so calm and free of any stress, lifted a heavy weight off of my heart. I could feel myself breathe normally now and I managed a frail smile.

Kneeling beside his arm that was draped off the couch, I brushed the hair out of his eyes affectionately. My hand was quivering, so I had to hold it against his cheek to steady it. For a brief second, I correlated the touch of the marble door to Kaoru's soft complexion. There was absolutely no comparison.

_Haruhi just doesn't understand..._

Overwhelmed by a sudden gush of various emotions, I bent forward and buried my nose into his shoulder. Inhaling his scent that was purely /Kaoru/, I paused before slowly crawling onto the couch. Carefully and comfortably arranging my body against his, I melted into him with my head nesting between his neck and collar bone.

With the gentle rising of Kaoru's chest to comfort me, and no more anxiety to plague my mind, I drifted into an untroubled sleep.

-- End of Chapter Seven/Hikaru's POV

**author's note: **Another half-assed chapter, eheh. Mm... hmm.. SO. Sorry for the late update! I had midterm exams and all of that crap to take last week, which meant I had no time to write anything.  
But anyway.. Two more chapters and this story will end! =D  
In a way, I'm kinda sad that it's ending so quickly since I like writing it but... I don't want to keep dragging it on and on so it'll only have nine chapters. Maybe a epilogue if I can swing it. x3

By the way, does anyone read the Ouran manga? Oh my god, I'm so happy that Tama finally realized his feelings for Haru. =D I have this strange feeling that Hika's gonna end up heartbroken but... he has Kaoru, you know? Haha, TamaxHaru FTW!!~


	8. Chapter 8

**Answered reviews:  
plummy-kins:** Thank you, and I'm so glad you like this story! Here's the next chapter~  
**Liila6241:** I'm glad you like it so much! Here's the long-awaited 8th chappie.  
**Whitemajic:** lol, yes I agree: Poor Kaoru~ Haha, well I don't mind dragging it on but it's just that I'm losing inspiration and ideas for this fanfiction. xP  
**kit-chan:** DUDE! I love you for your long review!! I'm really glad you (and some others) think I'm keeping them in character; that really gives me more confidence when I write. LOL, well this story is a mild-twincest so kissing might not even happen. Howeverrrr, I can write an epilouge that contains some.. "action". D  
**Anonymous: **Thank you!  
**AkatsukiSinx666:** lol, thanks~  
**avatar-chik: **LOL, thanks! I'll try not to make my chapters half-assed if I can help it. =D

**Echo My Love**

*

*

_Chapter Eight_

( Kaoru Hitachiin's Point of View )

I slowly opened my eyes to high-pitched squealing. It was vague and distant when I was half-asleep but now that I was beginning to regain my senses, the voices were starting to annoy me.

Barely registering the fact that my brother was using me as his personal pillow, I noticed a different rhythm mixing in with the screams. It sounded like the clicking of a camera, but... why?

Craning my neck to look over Hikaru's head, I saw the commotion. Tons of the host club clients were milling around the couch we were sleeping on, taking pictures with their cell phones and digital cameras. Blinking frantically, I shaded my eyes with a hand to shy away from the random flashes. I heard Kyouya usher the ladies away, followed by groans of disappointment. Dropping my arm, I saw the blurry silhouettes of the club members gathering around us as the girls were corraled to the other side of the room.

Meanwhile, Hikaru changes his position; his head is pushing deeper into my neck to try and escape the noise while he moans quietly in irritation. I smile as his hair tickles my cheek, but mentally prepare myself. Any minute now, he would wake and become uptight because of this morning.

Predictably, Hikaru stirred and we met eyes. A split second later, he demands if I was feeling better, grumbling about his worry, and shooting questions whether it was food poisoning that made me ill.

Reaching forward, I cupped both sides of his face and brought it close to mine, pressing our foreheads together. Hikaru shuts up effectively and I shield us from all of the customers' constant shrieks as I mollify him with words and small touches.

"I left the house before the doctor came -", I started patiently but hurriedly continued before Hikaru could interfere with a heated remark, "- and went straight to the school's infirmary. It's not food poisoning, just a mild case of indigestion. The doctor said I'll be okay."

Reassuring him like this reminded me of our childhood days when one of us (most-of-the-time a rash Hikaru) would get injured and the other (usually being me) would burst out in tears. It was always my older brother who would soothe me, not the other way around. So today was a new experience in which I had to fit in Hikaru's shoes and calm him. It was.. /touching/ to know how much he cared for me.

His worried expression softened and he closed his eyes before cursing softly, "Dammit Kaoru..."

Knowing that he was relieved more than anything, I laughed and adorably brushed my nose against his. "Hikaru?"

"Hmm?"

"Sorry."

He opens his eyes and stares straight at me, the golden hue in them more pronounced than ever. I smiled, my hands dragging themselves to hold his jaw while my thumb drew small circles across his skin.

Before he could part his lips to speak, Hikaru was interrupted by Tamaki. The blonde was standing near the horde of girls, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"HIKARU! KAORU! What are you two **doing, **leaving your customers unattended! Their entry fees will go to waste!"

"Sorry milord", Hikaru and I chorus, rising lazily from the couch, clasping each other's hands. "But we were entertaining them just fine right now, weren't we?"

"Don't.. Don't tell me that this was another one of your set-ups?!"

I spared half a glance at Hikaru, who beams with a forceful edge, "That's right, milord! I was bored while Kaoru was gone and had nothing else to do."

From my right, I heard Haruhi mutter, "It seemed convincing to me". She was staring at Hikaru critically with the rest of the hosts surrounding her.

Kyouya, pushing his glasses up with a finger, replied with, "You can never tell with these two."

I grinned evilly at an enraged Tamaki and saw Hikaru trying to copy me at the best of his ability, but failing. What the others didn't notice was how his hand was trembling in mine.

*

That night, we got dressed after taking a shower together. I'm drying my hair with a towel while Hikaru's stretched out on the bed, thumbing through a phone book.

"We're ordering from the best. I don't want you to get sick again, Kao", he insists, rifling through the thin yellow pages.

"Order anything, I'll be fine", I say, pulling an orange shirt over my head with difficulty.

"Hell no. How do you feel about Italian?"

Hikaru glances up at me and I give him a thumbs-up with a muffled affirmative; my head was tangled in my shirt and I emerged tousle-haired once I managed to free myself.

Hearing Hikaru place the order with his cellphone, I sat next to him and surfed through the club's auctions on our laptop. At the very top of the site, a new bid (24,001,056 yen) has been placed for Haruhi's shirt that Hikaru and I 'accidentally' spilled coffee on yesterday.

Hikaru, after tossing his phone aside, looked over my shoulder at the screen. "Wow.. There's gotta be over 50 pages, and it only started today."

I laughed in response, snapping the computer shut with a hand and pushing it to the side. "You wouldn't believe the amount customers paid for our lord's sock that we auctioned."

"Oh, you mean the one with the bear imprints?"

"Yeah. Nearly went up to 70,560,000 yen if the deadline extended to one more day", I replied airily, opening my school bag to retrieve a sketchbook from within. Flipping it open to the tenth page, I leaned back against Hikaru's chest and gestured at it. "Changing the subject, what do you think about this? I drew it while waiting for you in the clubroom today."

He hummed thoughtfully, his eyes skimming over the sketchy design as his arms automatically wrapped around my stomach. The drawing was of a model that looked like Haruhi, but was dressed in a beautiful gown. There were small ruffles near the bottom of the dress with a flowy material as its main base. Off to the side, I added the words 'pink and yellow combination' with a rough picture of how her masquerade mask should look like. Sticking to the theme of 'fairy tales', I made sure that her cosplay was more princess-like than anything else.

"Yeah", Hikaru said after a while, his tone appreciative. "Yeah, absolutely. We can make that in less than a day, Kaoru."

I nodded, but placed the book on our bedside table when we heard a knock on our bedroom door. Four maids entered; three carried trays with various Italian goods while the fourth pushed a rolling cart laden with silverware and dishes. One of them handed me a silver tray with what I recognized to be the finest spaghetti from a restaurant where Hikaru and I used to dine.

After wishing us a nice dinner, the maids bowed and departed, gently closing the door behind them. We were both mixing our spaghetti with tomato sauce in silence when an all-too-familiar ringtone shattered the peaceful atmosphere.

"Hikaru..", I chided quietly, staring at my twin who was determined to ignore the call. Shaking my head, I looked back at my food and continued mixing, waiting for my brother's patience to crack. It finally did, and he ripped the phone from the counter and jammed it between his shoulder and ear, still twirling the spaghetti with a fork.

"Hello?", he ground out, stirring the noodles with just a little too much force.

Expectedly, Tamaki's voice spillled through the speaker, obnoxiously loud and clear. "_Hikaru? Hikaru, is that you? I've been meaning to ask how Haruhi's dress is coming along!"_

"We just decided on the design today. It'll be done before the dance, milord", Hikaru informed, eating a few noodles after speaking.

"_A ball, it's a ball Hikaru! Not a simple dance!",_ Tamaki corrected spitefully, the vibrations of his voice causing Hikaru to cringe.

My brother gave me a look of pure incredulity at Tamaki's words. I sniggered, lifting a brocolli to my mouth and chewing the stem.

"Look, Boss, why did you call me? Kaoru and I are eati-"

_"To ask if you two would follow me to a commoner's supermarket tomorrow!"_

Matching eyes with Hikaru, I saw surprise and interest blooming behind them. Possibly taking our silence as excitement, Tamaki elaborated his plan at once.

--End of Chapter Eight/Kaoru's POV

**author's note:** I KNOW, I KNOWWWWW. Sucky ending, but you want to know the reason for that? Well... I've been out of the Ouran fandom for a while now, to tell you guys the truth. I still love the anime/manga, but I'm not so into it like I once was. I just completed this chapter yesterday and decided to leave it like this since I can't think of anything to add on to it. xD  
Even though I'm not a HUGE Ouran-fan anymore, I'll still complete this story since my love for the Hitachiins is still strong~

Next chapter will be the last, and hopefully I'll still be able to keep them in character and not ruin the entire story by making them OOC. I'm planning on adding an epilouge once this story is done so look out for that, 'kay?

If it hadn't been for the reviews and positive feedback I've been getting, I wouldn't have been able to get this far. I probably would've stopped at chapter two or something like with my other writing projects, LOL. So thank you readers (and your reviews) so much! Much love~


	9. Chapter 9

**Echo My Love**

_Chapter Nine_

( Hikaru Hitachiin's Point of View )

Without the help of our chaffeur, Kaoru and I get out in front of the commoner's market. The building was tall and imposing, its many windows glistening by the sun's rays. At the foot of the tall market, there's a hustle and bustle of commoners entering and exiting through the automatic glass doors.

"Where's Tono?", Kaoru asks after waving off our limo driver. Passerby stare at both of us, examining our expensive clothes and wealth with envious eyes.

As if to answer my brother's question, Tamaki lets himself known with a loud call of, "Hikaru! Kaoru! Over here!"

We walk over to him, where he's standing with a large grin at one of the doors that grant entrance. He's dressed sensibly, no doubt trying to blend in with the commoners.

"I don't understand. How can this place have the thing you're looking for?", I ask, glancing up at the large building and down again.

"This market has a jewelry store", he explains, smiling fondly at the people hurrying past. "Kyouya and I ran across it the last time we were here. Anyway...", he turns back to us, a certain gleam in his eye. "Haruhi won't appreciate it if I buy her something too expensive. It'll humiliate her!"

Kaoru and I trade understanding nods. "I guess that's understandable. Expensive things always offends her."

Tamaki laughs gleefully, happy that we're cottoning on. "Now my faithful subjects! Into a commoner's market!"

"Aye aye milord!"

* * *

This... This is what I should've expected.

"Uh... Uhm... Maybe...", Tamaki says, scanning down hallways of the commoner's market. He stares into every store we pass, checking whether or not it's the one we seek.

"Tono...", Kaoru calls, his eyebrows pulling together in mild aggravation.

Tamaki flushes and calls loudly, "It's here somewhere! I'm sure of it!"

I sigh and nudge Kaoru with an elbow. He sighs too, leading the way to a brick wall that's covered with colorful posters that represent sales and coupons. We leave Tamaki, who is still searching endlessly for the jewelry store.

A woman carrying a bag that's labeled '_Johnson's Pearls'_ walks past, casting us a fleeting glance. I look at Kaoru and he looks at me. There's a spark that ignites between us, a mutual agreement.

In sync, we take long strides towards the woman and walk on either side of her.

"Hello", we call, charming her with identical smiles. She blushes and stops, blinking from my face to Kaoru's. "M-Me?"

I nod, and Kaoru takes her hand like a proper Host. He skillfully speaks in a smooth tone, making her face entirely red, "You see, my brother and I are lost. We're looking for a-", he glances down briefly at her bag, but the lady continues to stare at his face, clearly enchanted. "-Johnson's Pearls. Do you know where it is?"

"O-Oh... I... I've just been there.. It's...", she stutters, and I noticed that even her hands are crimson. It's hilarious, and I can't help holding back a smirk.

Just as she opens her mouth to relay directions, Tamaki saunters over, eyes narrowed. "You twins! You are clearly the devil! Hosts should know better than to-"

I cut him off with a wave of my hand. "Tono, we're just getting directions to the jewelry store."

Tamaki spins to look at our captive, and his eyes widen with an unspoken plea. She's flustered that another handsome man has joined us, and her lips shake as she speaks, "It's at the northeast hall. If you keep going straight, you'll see a "Higurashi's Electronics". Turn right at that corner and it'll be right in front of you."

"Thank you ma'am", Tamaki speaks silkily, taking her hand from Kaoru's swiftly. He bends over her, his blonde hair falling across his eyes sexily. He talks in a low tone directly to her face, mesmerizing her. I roll my eyes at Kaoru and we both drag him off before he can do more damage to the poor woman's heart.

* * *

Johnson's Pearls is a small area that takes up the corner of the large market. If that stranger hadn't told us where to go, we would've surely missed it. It's a wonder how Kyouya and Tamaki found it before.

Rows of glass cases line the store, every inch of them hovered over by customers. Three cashiers roam about the crowd, offering information on that necklace or that bracelet. They seem happy to serve you with that ear-splitting smile, but in fact, they just want to sell.

Tamaki's engaged in conversation with a bearded clerk, and Kaoru wanders off to a table where hairpins are stored. I follow him, weaving through the people with their bulky shopping bags.

I stand next to Kaoru, examining a small cluster of pins that stand out with their vibrant colors. I pick one up, a black one with a red H at the end, and turn to Kaoru. He's not paying any attention to what I'm doing, so I grin. I bunch a part of his bangs to the side and clip the pin there. It shines under the ceiling's low light, matching the sparkle in Kaoru's confused eyes.

"Hikaru?"

"It's a gift, Kao. I couldn't help buying this for you. You look so adorable. Just remember to think of me when you wear this."

I'm fully aware of our small audience, namely a nearby employee and a few shoppers, but can't stop what I started. It's up to Kaoru for finishing it.

He flushes -just like in another one of our acts- and shyly leans against me. I expected him to stop with that or maybe even lay his head on my shoulder. I was wrong. He goes even further by moving up against me and placing the softest of kisses on my cheek. It completely overthrows me (This wasn't part of the plan!) and I could see Kaoru smirking like a devil as he pulls away.

"Thank you Hikaru! I'll treasure it always!", he coos sweetly. I throw a playful glare at him but my heart starts to beat in a ridiculous rhythm while my cheek tingles pleasantly.

This sure is a different act than our usual ones.

I like it.

* * *

On the night of the masquerade ball, the entire main salon had been elaborately decorated. Kyouya kept true to his word; a large authentic pine tree charged up quite a bit of space on the floor. It was sprinkled with glossy ornaments, fake icicles, and small teddybears which I guessed to be Tamaki's idea. The banisters had colorful string tied at every few feet, tables were properly prepared with shiny white sheets and various dishes from fancy tuna to small sandwiches. The actual dance floor had a sheen of gold with crimson rose petals scattered around.

"This looks great, sempai", Kaoru grinned at Kyouya as he gave the hall a once-over. It was only seven at night, meaning the hall was devoid of any customer. Only the Host Club were present - minus Haruhi, who's in the bathroom, changing into the outfit we gave her.

Kyouya smirked at Kaoru's compliment and pushed the bridge of his glasses higher up on his nose. He was dressed as a knight; we thought the character would be fitting for him. Before he had a chance to speak, Tamaki clamped a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "Of course! Leave anything to Kyouya and he gets the job done. By the way, you two..."

He leaves Kyouya and pulls Kaoru and I closer. He checks over his shoulder to make sure no one is eavesdropping and pulls out a small velvet black case from his pocket. Kaoru and I lean in closer out of curiosity. Tamaki snaps the case open and we're met with a gold ring. It's pretty simple; a gold band with a sapphire jewel perched on the top of it. I make a face, about to scold him for getting something so plain. However, just as I unclip the flute from my belt to hit him with, Kaoru smiles, "Looks great, milord! It'll match her dress perfectly, right Hikaru?"

They're both looking at me now. Tamaki, in his princely outfit (complete with a crown) and a hopeful grin. His face is flushed, betraying his excitement. Kaoru, wearing the same outfit I was -we decided to dress up as the Pied Piper of Hamelin, though I was duked out in blue and Kaoru in orange- looked calmer. Half of his face is covered by a crafty mask, but the other half had a smile just for me.

My shoulders move up in a sigh as I pat Tamaki's shoulder. He looks baffled and I grin, giving him the thumbs-up. "Go get her, your highness!"

* * *

"Haru-chan! You look amazing!", Honey called out in awe. He and Mori were dressed up as Hansel and Gretel -it was either that or Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf. For the ocassion, he left Usa-chan at home.

I looked around and saw Haruhi step down the staircase slowly, no doubt trying her hardest to keep her balance. Since she is a girl, Kaoru and I made sure to get her to dress as one tonight. What else could she be besides a princess, am I right? She made a pretty one at that; seeing Kaoru's sketch come alive on the real Haruhi was a fashion designer's dream.

I beamed at our handiwork, "Yup, it came out good. I'm proud of us Kaoru."

My twin laughed and we shared a high-five, completely ignoring Haruhi's dry glare. She frowned and probably had something to say, but Tamaki had rushed over at her appearance. He was gawking from a few feet away, conversing with Kyouya, until he heard Honey's voice like we did.

"H-Haruhi? Is that you?", he asked, his eyes impossibly wide. I heard Kaoru snicker from beside me and I nudged him, grinning lazily at our lord's stupidity.

Haruhi fixed him with a blank stare through her beaded white mask and lifted one end of her long gown. Lace peeked out from under the silky pink fabric as she muttered, "It's annoying to walk in."

A dark shade of red overtook Tamaki's features that he had to try and hide his face behind the sleeve of his shirt. "Haruhi... You look... You look..."

Kaoru and I shared a quick look and sighed together. Sparing Tamaki from further humiliation, I hung an arm around his neck and pulled him down to a crouch. "Ah c'mon my lord! Tell Haruhi how cute she is!"

My brother did the same thing I did, forcing Tamaki to the right who let out a pained grunt. "Thank us too! We're the ones who designed the outfit afterall. We managed to bring your fantasy to life."

Tamaki's face turned even redder if possible and he quickly shrugged us off and straightened the cuff around his neck. "Sh-shut up, the both of you!"

He glanced at Haruhi, who was talking to Honey and Mori now, and managed a small smile. To himself, he murmured, "Perhaps later... I'll give it to her later."

I blink and look down, noting how his hand slithers to his pocket and grasps something there. I can't hold back a tight smile. He's fallen in pretty deep.

* * *

The customers all file into the hall one at a time. Each has a delighted face when they walk in, their heels clicking and clacking against the clean marble floor. The Host Club stand on the staircase as the women group around the main floor. I keep a watch on all of them, keeping tabs on who enter. Craning my neck, I try to get a sight of Emilia and I see Kaoru give me a strange look out of my peripheral vision. All of them are either dressed as fairies or princesses and I'm disappointed that none of them got creative enough to dress as Freankenstein or whatnot. It would've spiced things up.

Failing to see Emilia from the mass of pastel colors of all the dresses and masks, I fall back and scowl. Kaoru continues to dart glances but I shake my head to let him know nothing's the problem. I turn away and barely pay attention as Kyouya makes a speech to the ladies, speaking of things I don't care about. I mull over my own thoughts, staring at the far end of the hall, towards the large glass doors to the balcony. The sky was a navy blue and cloudless.

Maybe Emilia didn't show up afterall. Seeing as how her family is busy half of the time, she could've ran into an urgent meeting and got delayed. Or maybe -I inwardly grin at the thought- she had to get transferred back to Europe and stay there for good.

I distinctly hear clapping and I look around to see that our customers were applauding politely. Kyouya bowed, looking like the perfect knight and walked down the steps to immediately engage a princess to a dance.

On the upper level of the salon were a group of instrumentalists I haven't noticed before. Once Kyouya stopped talking, they began to play their respective instruments, creating a nice musical atmosphere. Tamaki soon joined the fray, along with Mori and Honey. Kaoru hung behind and asked, "What is it?"

"Hm?", I say, trying to get out of answering. "Nothing, it's just all the lights. They're making my eyes sting a bit."

His eyebrows are drawn together in worry, but a couple of girls call up to us. "Hikaru, Kaoru! Don't leave us waiting!"

They giggle, forcing us down the remainder of the steps to join in on the dancing. I quickly excuse myself to get a drink and leave Kaoru behind with the two girls. I could feel his stare on the back of my head as I walk away. When I turn behind a pole, I lean against it and drop my casual demeanor. I huff and glance at the people around me quickly. Kaoru would probably come looking for me soon so I had to be quick.

I spotted Tamaki being bombarded by several girls who wanted to dance with him first. Kyouya was twirling a girl not too far away from him. I scanned each face, trying to spy any feature of Emilia's, until -

"Kaoru-kun?"

I froze, recognizing that timid voice anywhere. I turn slightly and see the person I've been looking for. She's dressed in a flowery gown, holding up a jeweled masquerade mask to her eyes. There's a blush on her cheeks. "I've been looking for you, uhm... Can we..?"

Her sentence lingers in the air for a minute before I offer her my hand.

* * *

We dance for a while, a little slower compared to the other couples surrounding us. My hand is on the small of her back while the other is holding onto one of her own hands. I want to let go and run to Kaoru, but I stay put. I have to see through this.

Emilia's head is close to mine. I could see each strand of her chestnut-colored hair, the thickness of her eyelashes, and the light from the chandelier reflecting off of her eyes.

"This is so magical. The place, this costume, you.. I really feel like a princess... A princess dancing with her prince", she whispers. I would've felt bad that I was personating my brother like this and hearing something obviously private, but I didn't find it in me to care. I didn't say anything, only leading her to the left, away from the rest. I lost sight of Kaoru a while back and he was too preoccupied to look for me anyway.

I spin her and let her fall in a graceful arc, holding her back gently. She sighs in contentment and I slowly pull her back up. I drop her hand and step away from her. I bow once and spin on my heel to leave when I felt something tug on my sleeve.

"Kaoru-kun, wait... I.."

Sighing, I jerk my arm away and straighten my clothing, my hands running over the silk fabric. "Listen. I'm not Kaoru."

Her eyes widen at the knowledge and her hands fly over her mouth. I shrug, rolling my eyes towards the balcony once more. I vaguely notice how dark the night is. "I'm Hikaru."

I frown and meet her terrified eyes. "Don't go blaming Kaoru for this either. It was all my idea. Look, you're a nice girl. You wanted a dance and I gave it to you. Kaoru and I look just like each other so it doesn't matter who you danced with, really. It's not like you can tell us apart."

Being insensitive and blunt was my nature. Being sympathetic and giving was Kaoru's. So when Emilia's eyes began to moisten in tears, I watched them trail down her cheeks and over her hands, which were still closed over her mouth. I let her have a moment and excuse myself, heading towards the concession tables.

I muss up my hair and blow a sigh, wondering if I'll get punished for my treatment towards her. Leaving her in tears wasn't part of my original plan. I didn't have a plan to begin with. I just wanted to let her have one dance and then ditch her for the rest of the night.

"Hikaru!"

Kaoru's standing by one table, holding a glass of red juice in his hand. He's waving me over and I obediently go. The moment I'm in earshot, he offers me his drink and asks, "Where have you been?"

I gulp down the juice greedily and hand the empty glass back over to him. "Just dancing."

He takes it and places it on the table amongst the croisants and fruit bowls. "Okay.. if you say so."

He doesn't believe me. Nothing gets past him.

I reach over and pull the strap of his mask over his head so that it lay on top of his hair. His face is no longer hidden and I grin into it. He looks perplexed but amused all the same before teasing, "Milord brought champagne but I don't think you should drink any, Hikaru. You're already acting a little strange."

I let out a loud laugh and take his hand before spinning him quickly. "Hush now Kaoru, we're in the presence of pretty princesses. I think they're bored. Let's give them a show."

The girls who were staring at us while we talked started squealing now, understanding what I meant. Kaoru shook his head and smiled at my tactics before allowing himself to be lead around the floor in a smooth dance.

* * *

Many of our guests started to leave over the next couple of hours. Only a few remained, mainly those who wanted more of our attention or had time left to spare.

So far, no sign of Emilia. Kaoru was close by my side and I'm confident to say that he didn't stray off, meaning I succeeded in keeping those two apart.

Mori had done the honors of opening the champagne a little earlier, causing a small commotion near the double doors. As far as I knew, the cork was still missing. Pouring myself and Kaoru a glass of champagne, I hold the wine glass up elegantly and examine it. "I always thought that it would be more greener..."

Kaoru laughed quietly at my musing and took a sip from his cup. He noticed me watching him and blinked, "What?"

I smirk, "Nothing."

"You've been saying that alot. I want an answer other than 'nothing' Hikaru."

We look at each other and I want to tell him what's on my mind: the Emilia business, my deceiving, my secrets. But none came out in the form of words. I avoided the topic and took a swig instead, accepting the burn of the liquid running down my throat.

"Hikaru! Kaoru!", Tamaki called from afar. We both turned towards the balcony and headed straight for it. The rest of the Host Club were there, leaning against the ledge and staring up at the sky.

Bracing against the chilly weather, I huddle close to Kaoru and direct my eyes upwards too.

It was snow. Small fluffs of it fell everywhere. It came from the dark expanse of black, like little pinpricks of light travelling through the darkness.

A snowflake fell on my cheek, immediately melting. A few landed on Kaoru's hair but he didn't bother to dust them off. He was bent over the railing, looking down at the ground where the snow started to create a thin layer across the school grounds.

Everyone was quiet, just admiring this simple act of nature. Haruhi must've shivered because Tamaki pulled his cape over her small shoulders. I leaned onto Kaoru, my face buried in his now-wet hair. It must've been the champagne because I felt something in the pit of my stomach.

It was weird. Like a bud blossoming into a magnificent flower, the feeling spread from my stomach to the rest of my body. It was a pleasant feeling but I had no name for it. Contentment? Happiness?

Emilia's earlier words crossed my mind. 'This is so magical...'

I smile into my brother's hair as he shifts to rub his cheek against my shoulder. Tonight is magical. That's one thing Emilia got right at least.

**A/N: Finally done! This isn't really the ending I was going for, but I guess... it works?  
I still love Ouran, but as I wrote out this last chapter I had to refresh my memory and go back a few chapters to get all the details and stuff correct. I dunno, this story was fun though and I'm happy it's finally done. I would've hated myself if I left this story incomplete.**

**Well... I hope you guys enjoyed this story! I know, I know. This last chapter is really fast-paced and might not fit with the story, so.. forgive me. lol **


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